The State of School Purchasing Report 2026

K-12 EdTech procurement has shifted from a seasonal rush to an agile, year-round purchasing cycle driven by shrinking budgets, staff shortages, and the AI boom.

Drawing on responses from over 2,200 decision-makers across SmartBrief Education and Tech & Learning, this report reveals how modern school leaders evaluate vendors and allocate budgets.

Inside the PDF:

• The Year-Round Cycle: Why 67% of school leaders evaluate tools continuously
• Surprising Deal-Breakers: The top factors (like subscription costs and implementation complexity) that lose sales
• Decision Power Dynamics: The rising influence of building admins (61%) and instructional staff (59%)
• Preferred Channels: Why 72% of buyers rely on peer recommendations and trusted media over vendor outreach

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